Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

On the narrow issue of the amendment, all legislation is subject to the Constitution. It is legislative surplusage to say that section 53 will be subject to the Constitution because it is subject to it. The primacy of the Constitution is fundamental in all the legislation we enact. I do not see the narrow text of the amendment advancing the argument in any way and I am not prepared to accept the amendment in its terms.

More general arguments were raised.

See this speech in context